Maximising safety in the home now that your baby is mobile

Do you know that many children around the world die before they turn two? However, this can be avoided by by making your home safe.

Most often, injuries occur because parents do not really understand what their babies are capable of at this stage, as they think their baby is still so young.

Be careful, babies learn fast. They will be able to roll over, crawl, sit, stand, climb, walk, and may reach things that you have not imagined they would reach that fast!

Here are the things that should be on your watch list:

First: Falling

As your babies develop new skills, like walking, they would fall more often. You, therefore, need to protect your baby from injuries by babyproofing your home, through installing baby gates on stairway banisters or any dangerous places. You should also remove any furniture with sharp edges to prevent head injuries. It is also not preferable for your little angel to use a baby walker, when you are not around, because the baby might pull heavy objects or hot food.

Second: Burns

Burns are the most serious threats to babies, so you should keep hot cups or dishes away from the table or any other hot object, such as clothes iron or hair straightener. While cooking in the kitchen, try to keep your baby in a safe place, and in case your baby is around, put the little one in the dinning chair, and keep the baby away from everything around.

In case of burns, even minor ones, you will need to apply cold water on the burned area for few minutes then cover it with a bandage or a piece of dry clean cloth, until the doctor comes or until you visit the doctor after administering first aid to the baby.

Third: Drowning

Do not be surprised. Negligence may result in baby drowning, even in the bathtub. So, never leave your baby alone in a bathtub full of water because the baby may not be able to act properly. You must also be wary of big pools, pay more attention to your baby while near swimming pools. If you have a private pool, you should secure the area and put a fence around the pool to protect the baby from falling and drowning while you are busy doing other things.

Fourth: Poisoning and Choking

You may believe there is no link between choking and poisoning, but what we mean of this are the small objects your baby pick from the floor or any other place then swallow them, causing the little one to choke of suffer poisoning as a result of contamination. Solids may also be dangerous to your baby, thus you should avoid giving the baby any food they cannot swallow. Soft food is preferable at this stage.

At this stage, babies eat anything they catch, so be aware of any toxic materials, detergents, drugs, small pieces in drawers. Hence, it would be better if you lock the drawers so your baby doesn’t have access to them, as you need to keep all dangerous materials away from the reach of your baby.

Do not keep ropes or straps near babies, because they might wrap them around their neck and choke. You also need to be aware of toys with ropes on your baby’s bed or any plastic covers, which can be worn around the head and cause choking